Akhil Herwadkar is a compact opening batsman and a composed accumulator of runs in a Mumbai side dripping with aggressive stroke-makers. He made his first-class debut as a 17-year-old in the 2011-12 Ranji Trophy, but was dropped after a game, and did not get another chance in the next two years.

Herwadkar was recalled in 2014-15, but with 373 runs from six games his numbers weren't extraordinary. It was in the next season that Herwadkar turned a corner, racking up 879 Ranji runs, including a 192 against Gujarat, to finish as the second-highest run-getter behind Shreyas Iyer. Herwadkar followed it up with a 90 against Rest of India in the Irani Trophy in March 2016, not long after he was bought by Delhi Daredevils for Rs 10 lakh (US$14,000 approx) at the IPL auction.ESPNcricinfo staff